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Wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice Festival!

Tang Yuan is a traditional Chinese dessert consisting of glutinous rice flour balls, often filled with sweet or savory fillings such as black sesame paste, red bean paste, or peanut butter. These rice balls are typically served in a sweet syrup or broth, flavored with ingredients like ginger or osmanthus flowers. Tang Yuan is especially popular during festivals such as the Lantern Festival and the Winter Solstice, symbolizing family unity and togetherness due to their round shape.

My late mother used to prepare the “Tang Yuan” on the night before to be cooked and served fresh on the morning of “Tong Zhi”. As is the tradition, she would always tell us that we would be one year older after eating the “Tang Yuan”.

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How To Make Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Ball In Ginger Syrup)

Yields: 6 - 8 servings

GINGER SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

1.3 liter water

5 tablespoons organic brown sugar

3 inches ginger (sliced)

4 pandan leaves or screwpine leaves, tie into a knot

METHOD:

Boil the water in a pot then add Ginger and Pandan leave. Bring it to boil over medium heat and until you can smell the aroma of pandan leave and ginger.
Add sugar and let it simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep aside

PURPLE SWEET POTATO GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS WITH BLACK SESAME FILLING

INGREDIENTS:

Black Sesame Filling:

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds (toasted)

2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

Purple Sweet Potato Glutinous Dumplings:

200 g Japanese Purple Sweet Potato (raw with skin)

80 g glutinous rice flour

8 tablespoons water

METHOD:

Black Sesame Filling:

Grind the toasted black sesame in food processor or hand blender until fine.
In a bowl, mix the blended black sesame, sugar and olive oil together and mix well. Keep aside in refrigerator.

Purple Sweet Potato Glutinous Dumplings:

Clean and peel the sweet potato. Steam it till soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Mash the cooked potatoes with a potato riser.
In a mixing bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour and mashed potato. Slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix and knead until become a soft dough.
Shape dough into 18 small balls (18g each).
To shape the dumpling: (A) Flatten the sweet potato ball lightly. (B) Make a small well in the centre of the dough and fill with ½ teaspoons of black sesame. (C) Pinch the dough together to close, roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and lay the balls on a plate sprinkled with flour (this will prevent glutinous balls stick on the plate). (D) Repeat this step with the remaining dough and fillings.
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Drop the balls into the boiling water and cook until they floats to the top, about 3 minutes. Then scoop them out and drop into the bowl of ice water for a 2 to 3 minutes (this will keep them springy).
Then take the balls out and drain.
To serve, place a few dumplings in a small bowl and pour some syrup over. Serve hot.

PLAIN GLUTINOUS DUMPLINGS:

INGREDIENTS:

80 g glutinous rice flour
5 tbsp water

METHOD:

In a mixing bowl, Slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time into glutinous rice floor. Mix and knead until become a soft dough.
Pinch the dough into small balls (5g each) and roll them in between your two palms into round balls. You should have at least 30 balls.
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Drop the balls into the boiling water and cook until they floats to the top, about 3 minutes. Then scoop them out and drop into the bowl of ice water for a 2 to 3 minutes (this will keep them springy).
Then take the balls out and drain.
To serve, place a few dumplings in a small bowl and pour some syrup over. Serve hot.

PANDAN DUMPLING WITH GULA MELAKA FILLING

INGREDIENTS:

180 gm glutinous rice flour
150 ml pandan juice
50 g gula Melaka (palm sugar)

METHOD:

In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, pandan juice and water, kneading well to form a smooth dough.
Shape the balls: (A) Pinch off small balls of dough (about 15g) and roll it between your palms to form smooth balls. (B) Flatten lightly. (C) Make a small well in the centre of the dough and fill with chopped palm sugar. (D) Pinch the dough together to close, roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and lay the balls on a plate sprinkled with flour (this will prevent glutinous balls stick on the plate)
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Drop the balls into the boiling water and cook until they floats to the top, about 3 minutes. Then scoop them out and drop into the bowl of ice water for a 2 to 3 minutes (this will keep them springy).
Then take the balls out and drain.
To serve, place a few dumplings in a small bowl and pour some syrup over. Serve hot.